


reverse our polarity

by Riathel



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Any Doctor/Master incarnation works here btw, M/M, Poetry, just that I had TenSimm in mind while writing it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:14:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20444705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riathel/pseuds/Riathel
Summary: would have written you a sonnetif it could be certain that you wouldn’tthrow it insomeone’s face.-The Doctor thinks about their best enemy, the Master, their shared history, the nature of the universe, and the fact that they can’t write poetry for shit.





	reverse our polarity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zampano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zampano/gifts).

**reverse our polarity**

would have written you a sonnet  
if it could be certain that you wouldn’t  
throw it in  
someone’s face.

that’s not true, you know,  
would have done it anyway,  
but beggars can’t rhyme.

do you remember  
when you tried to kill  
the red velvet jacket  
(this is not an exercise in elimination  
but of probabilities)  
that tried to curve into a question mark  
(succeeded much later)  
and, failing that, in the moment,  
could not feign surprise

(water is wet  
earth is doomed  
news at nine.)

one day  
things will be certain of one another,  
balanced.  
well  
someone has to believe that  
even silt has to settle in the cracks it’s given.

do you remember  
yesterday the news says:  
**man in a standoff against police, relatives stunned, avoid the area  
**the day after tomorrow the news said:  
**you won’t believe this cat can shred more than the drapes thirty dead sunshine expected tomorrow the golf was won by local up-and-comer up next we have the secret to beating the heat**

it’s not shocking but  
you’re right  
perhaps it is stupid to cry  
you’re right

isn’t the whole thing just  
thrilling.  
this is such a good time.  
isn’t it a good time?

the identities of other people in one brain with the usual amount of brainstems

not who but -- whom?  
a medical man, certainly  
there is not much else  
but, then again!  
nobody asks what else.

yes, alright, here it is  
here is the attention you want  
and here is the meaning of it all:  
[page left intentionally blank]

are you having a good time?  
don’t glare  
this is the sort of game you like  
fine, we’ll reset the board  
again

do you remember  
learning about antiparticles?

look, attend carefully:  
electrons and positrons are just one example of  
matter and antimatter

how often do you need to test something before you can be sure that it will hold up? again? again? again? again?  
again?  
or did that shatter it for you?  
it’s been a pleasant match so far  
of course  
you took the opportunity to ruin it.

listen  
listen listen listen listen  
particles aren’t trapped by their polarity  
their nature doesn’t bind them to annihilation  
only their collision ensures that.

you don’t have to be the unstoppable force  
(or were you the immovable object?)

what combination of words will make you understand this?  
please say them so they become real

even were we on a path to destruction  
the universe is just a state of decay  
hope is for the hopeless  
trying to fight that is an idiot’s endeavour

a medical man and an idiot, for sure.  
there are worse labels to wear on your chest  
like ones that say  
“Hello! My name is:”  
and don’t leave you much room at all to write out your carefully kept list of sins

three words might be enough.  
then again  
when have either of us  
ever settled for that?  
we are not silt,  
you are not a crack,  
even though it might be easier if you were.

the thought occurs that  
just as easily the words might be:  
i’m the doctor.  
which is not the lie you came here for.  
sorry to disappoint.

the board is reset.  
neither of us have taken the first move.  
it would be cheating.  
the first move must inevitably lead to the last, after time.

and time is all we have.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to sufferingcity’s extraordinary poem “Hamartia is a Planet to the Left of Aldebaran” which is on [tumblr](https://sufferingcity.tumblr.com/post/186521985455/hamartia-is-a-planet-to-the-left-of-aldebaran) and [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20156908). Please go read it, it is literally the most glorious poem I’ve ever read, fandom or otherwise.
> 
> Find me at riathel.tumblr.com where I scream about this pairing in the tags of every reblog and try to avoid writing original posts.


End file.
